Investment adviser (IA) firms that use FINRA systems for regulatory activities may be assessed for certain fees. FINRA’s electronic billing system, E-Bill, facilitates the collection and disbursement of fees through:
- The Flex-Funding Account, the account that enables day-to-day registration transactions to occur, and
- The Renewal Account, which is only active during the Annual Renewal Program.
Learn more about funding these accounts by E-Bill, check or wire/ACH on the page below.
Note: Firms may choose to withdraw excess funds from their Flex-Funding Account. Please see the Refunds section of the E-Bill User Guide for complete information about refund requests.
Flex-Funding Account
Many fees transacted through the Flex-Funding Account are related to licensing and registration activity conducted in FINRA Gateway, CRD, IARD, and/or PFRD. These fees are usually automatically assessed upon submission of a form filing. IA-related fees include:
- IA Firm System Processing Fees,
- IA Representative System Processing Fees,
- IA Firm State Registration/Notice Filing Fees,
- IA Representative State Registration Fees,
- Qualification Exam Fees for enrollments requested through CRD and FINRA Gateway, and
- Form PF Filing Fees
All transactions facilitated by FINRA systems should be pre-paid. If there are insufficient funds on deposit, the system will prevent the submission of the filing, result in funds deficient registration requests, and/or block exam windows from opening.
Firms may fund their Flex-Funding Account by:
Renewal Account
The Renewal Account is available only during the Annual Renewal program. Investment adviser firms can use this account to pay renewal fees for the firm, branches, and individuals.
Firms have three options to pay fees:
- Make an ACH deposit via E-Bill directly into their Renewal Account,
- Make a deposit into their Flex-Funding Account and then transfer the funds into their Renewal Account, or
- Wait for FINRA’s Flex-Funding to Renewal Transfer. Beginning on Dec. 11, 2023, and through Dec. 26, 2023, FINRA will transfer funds from Flex-Funding Accounts to Renewal Accounts if the entire renewal amount owed is available. This Flex-Funding Account-to-Renewal Account transfer process will be applied daily beginning Jan. 26, 2024, for firms that still owe fees on their Final Statement. Firms do not need to initiate transfers during this period as FINRA will transfer funds daily.
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Electronic Payment via E-Bill
E-Bill is an application that allows entitled users to view and export transaction detail for the firm’s Flex-Funding Account and Renewal Account. Please consult the E-Bill User Guide for complete information.
Please note: Your bank may require FINRA’s Company ID to process transactions via E-Bill. Please use the following Company IDs: 1222528267, 1222528268 or 1222528269.
| Payment via E-Bill | Bank Account (Manual ACH) | AutoPay (Automated ACH) | Flex-Funding Transfers (Reallocations) | Other |
| Flex-Funding Account | Pay with a bank ACH | Set up AutoPay | Affiliate firm Flex-Funding Account transfers | N/A |
| Renewal Account | Pay with a bank ACH | N/A | Reallocate funds to the Renewal Account | Automatic Renewal Transfer from the Flex-Funding Account |
Note: E-Bill is the only payment method available to directly deposit funds from a bank account into the Renewal Account. See the Renewal Account section to learn more.
E-Bill payments and transfers requested before 9 p.m. ET post the next business day. FINRA does not charge firms any fees for utilizing E-Bill; however, firms should verify with their bank whether that bank will assess fees for utilizing E-Bill.
Entitlement is required to use E-Bill. For detailed information about how to request access to E-Bill or how to use this application, please review FINRA's Entitlement User Guide and the E-Bill User Guide.
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Wire Transfer or ACH
Firms may transfer funds via wire* or ACH to fund their Flex-Funding Account. Wire payments intended for renewal fees are deposited into the firm’s Flex-Funding Account; see the Renewal Account section to learn more about depositing or transferring funds to pay renewal fees. Provide your bank with the following information to initiate a transfer:
|
Bank Name |
Bank of America |
| Transfer funds to | FINRA |
| Beneficiary | FINRA |
| Wire ABA Number | 026009593 |
| ACH ABA Number | 054001204 |
| FINRA Account Number | 226005684771 |
| Reference Number | Firm CRD or Org Number |
|
SWIFT-BIC for Wires Sent in U.S. Dollars SWIFT-BIC Code for Wires Sent in Foreign Currency *Note: Foreign firms may be required to use the SWIFT-BIC code to submit a wire transfer; please contact your bank with any questions. |
BOFAUS3N BOFAUS6S |
Please record the confirmation number of the transfer given to you by your bank. You will need this if you choose to call your bank later to confirm the transfer.
If FINRA receives the funds before 2 p.m. ET, the transaction should display the next business day in E-Bill. If it is received after 2 p.m., ET, then the deposit should be available in two business days. ACH bank transfers typically take several days longer.
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Payment by Check:
Like Wire/ACH payments, check payments received before 2 p.m. ET should post in E-Bill the next business day. Checks received after 2 p.m. ET should post in two business days. You can review E-Bill to verify that your check has been deposited in your Flex-Funding Account.
- Make checks payable to FINRA and write your firm’s CRD Number on the memo line.
- FINRA will cash the check upon delivery and apply it to your firm’s Flex-Funding Account.
- You can review E-Bill to verify that your check has been deposited in your Flex-Funding Account within 1-2 business days of its receipt by FINRA.
Note: Check payments intended for renewal fees are deposited into the Flex-Funding Account. Please see the Renewal Account section for essential information about transferring funds to pay your firm’s renewal fees.
| US Mail | Express/Overnight Delivery |
|
FINRA (Note: this P.O Box will not accept courier or overnight deliveries.) |
Bank of America Lockbox Services Provide the following phone number if one is required for the recipient: |
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